Any Cost
by Flynne
Summary: When the Hamato clan loses a brother, there are no barriers of space and time they will not cross to find him. There is no price too high to pay to get him back.
1. Chapter 1

_This story takes place during 2k3 season 4, after "Return of Savanti" but before "Good Genes". Neither story arc is the focus, but related events are briefly mentioned._

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Chapter1: Prologue

He wasn't a large man, but his footsteps seemed to shake the walls. The echoes bounced menacingly around the stone corridor, making it hard to tell how close he actually was. Renet knelt before the mammoth golden statue that held the time scepter, hands folded, head bowed. Her eyes were closed, but it didn't stop the tears from trickling steadily down her face. Usually the sound of those footsteps was enough to fill her with dread...but not today. For once, she was beyond fear. Beyond shame. Beyond regret. For once, she was willing to accept responsibility.

The footsteps grew louder and changed pitch as he rounded the final bend in the hallway. She could feel him coming up behind her like an approaching storm cloud. If she turned around, she knew she'd see the black rage in his eyes. He had forgiven her countless times before. But he wouldn't now. He came to a stop behind her.

"Renet. What have you done?" He didn't yell. His voice was flat, a barely audible rumble.

She didn't answer.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" He was picking up volume now. "You broke one of the most important laws of time. You caused four deaths. Do you have any _idea _of the disaster you could have caused? You nearly destroyed _an entire TIMELINE!" _She flinched as Lord Simultaneous' roar reverberated like thunder in the empty hall. _**"ANSWER ME, RENET!"**_

She opened her eyes. "I knew."

Her quiet admission took the wind out of Lord Simultaneous' sails. "You what?"

"I knew what could happen."

"You knew," he repeated, voice thick with outrage. "You knew, and you did it anyway? Even if you _hadn't _known the consequences, this means a permanent end to your role as timestress, at the very least! You could be banished from Null Time for this!"

She blinked her burning eyes, letting fresh tears run down her face. "I know that, too."

The time lord was stunned into silence.

Renet took a deep, shaky breath and stood up, looking down at her master. "And I'd do it again."

Simultaneous' bulldog face went slack with disbelief.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Donny, get the lead out! Let's go!" When no reply was forthcoming, Raphael jogged across the lair and poked his head into his brother's room. "What's the holdup?"

"Just...let me...finish this thought," Don replied absently, fingers skimming over his keyboard so quickly they appeared blurred. "Got an idea for upgrading the weapons on the Battle Shell."

Raph smirked and folded his arms across his chest. "About that...Leo and Mikey are already _in_ the Battle Shell. You really want to test how long our fearless leader can keep Mikey from pushing buttons?"

"Uh..." Don paused, eyes widening behind his mask.

"So, you done?"

"I'm done!" Don hurriedly saved his work and shut the laptop, grabbing his bo and his battered duffle before striding out the door. Raph snickered and followed close behind as they made their way to the garage and climbed into the Battle Shell.

"About time, Donny," Mikey drawled, leaning back in his chair.

"You know, you never complain if I take my time fixing your Nintendo," Don pointed out as he started up the armored truck.

"I know. Because the last time I did that, you re-wrote the code so Mario was wearing the Princess' dress for the entire game and I had to play with Luigi to maintain my manly dignity." He made a disgusted face. "_Luigi_, dude."

"Your 'manly dignity'?" Raph asked with a smirk. "So how do you explain all the times you've dressed in drag?"

"Pink is not your color," Don put in. Leonardo laughed from behind the city map he was holding and completely missed the dirty look Mikey gave him.

"So where we going?" Raph asked, leaning back in his chair.

"I saw a crew of Purple Dragons unloading a delivery truck at a warehouse down by the docks when I was out on patrol yesterday," Leo said, lowering the map. "Take the expressway, Don. We'll get there faster." He turned back to Raphael. "The crates they were unloading looked an awful lot like the shipment the ATF recovered from those gunrunners last month."

Raph huffed. "Great. Trigger-happy goons with new toys. As if this mutant outbreak isn't enough for us to deal with." He pulled out one of his sai and idly started twirling the pronged weapon in a complicated series of spins.

Even in New York, the streets were clear late at night and Don was a fast driver, so the trip was quick. The brothers were quiet from force of habit. They rarely spoke to each other while on patrol over the rooftops, and despite the fact that they were inside a vehicle, the knowledge that they were on their way to a possible confrontation kept them silent.

Don killed the lights and pulled the Battle Shell into a sheltered alley a couple blocks away. "How do you want to do this?" he asked.

"The building has a skylight," Leo answered. "We can scout it out from there."

Raph was the last to leave the Battle Shell, keeping an eye out at the rear. The four of them used shuko spikes to climb the side of the nearest warehouse, then ran lightly across the flat rooftops, leaping easily from building to building. Leo signaled that the next building was the one he wanted, and when Raph landed in a soundless crouch, he remained motionless for several seconds to make sure they had been undetected. Leo nodded and beckoned them toward the skylight at the center of the roof.

Dim yellow light shone through the grimy skylight, showing that the building was occupied. Raph peered down and scowled when he saw Hun moving between stacks of large wooden crates, accompanied by about two dozen rough-looking gang members.

"You were right, Leo," Don murmured. Hun had just used a crowbar to pry the top off of one of the crates, and the unmistakable shapes of machine pistols nestled in the packaging.

Mikey let out a low whistle. "Those'll scuff your shell."

"Looks like they're already breaking them in," Raph observed darkly. He gestured at a cluster of Purple Dragons near the back of the warehouse. Each one had an automatic weapon holstered on his his or her belt.

Leo "hmm-ed" a little under his breath. "Maybe we should set up surveillance," he ventured. "I'm not worried about being outnumbered, but these guns are more than the Purple Dragons have had before. I'd just as soon not give them any sort of target practice. We can wait until they're gone before we move in."

"Looks like they're getting ready to practice with them now," Don said worriedly. A brief scuffle had taken place in the corner of the warehouse, and now one of the gang members had been seized and was being marched toward the center of the room. Hun barked a command, the rumble of his deep voice audible even through the glass of the skylight, and the wiry Hispanic man was forced to his knees. He lifted his face and stared Hun down defiantly.

"Aw, _hell_," Raph growled through gritted teeth. "He's an undercover cop."

"Raph, you're sure?" Leo asked.

"Yeah. Casey knows him. He's been on assignment for the past six months but Case didn't know where. Guess we know now." His mouth pressed into a grim line. "And from the look of things, Hun does, too."

Leo took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, then. New plan, boys. This is now a rescue mission."

Mikey pulled out his nunchaku and twitched his wrists to start them spinning, an enthusiastic grin lighting his face as the heavy whizzing handles set up a sinister hum. "Smash and grab?"

Leo grinned back at him, sliding his katana free of their sheaths. "Something like that. Let's get in, get the police officer, and get out. We can figure out another time to deal with the weapons." He turned to Donatello. "Don, you think you can handle the drop?"

Don hopped up and down once or twice on his leg, still bandaged from where the mutant creature had wounded him a few months back. "Yeah, I should be fine."

Leo nodded. "Okay. Anytime you're ready."

Raph tensed, hands threading through the prongs of his sai as Don raised his bo. Don swung the staff down in a powerful stroke. The skylight shattered, and the four turtles jumped through the opening in a cloud of shimmering shards. Raph hit the ground in a rolling crouch. The glass crunched against his shell, but the fragments tumbled harmlessly off his tough skin.

He gathered his feet beneath him and launched himself straight at the cluster of Purple Dragons holding the police officer. He crashed into them like a freight train, sending bodies flying. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the streak of orange and green that was Michelangelo, spinning and striking at Hun, forcing the towering gang leader back.

The undercover officer stared at him, wide-eyed. "You guys _are _real!"

Raph pivoted on his right leg while knocking back three gang members with his left. "So Hun's told you about us?"

"Just the bad stuff!" The man jumped to his feet and slugged one of their attackers, sending the man tumbling to the ground. Raph barked a laugh, disarming another thug with a twist of his sai.

A yelp from Michelangelo was the only warning Raph had before his brother went sailing across the room. He plowed shell first into a crate with a splintering crash and thumped to the concrete floor, half buried in debris. Raph was relieved to see Mikey start to get up right away, but his movements were clumsy. Donatello saw a group of chain-wielding gang members closing in on his dazed brother and broke away from where he was fighting beside Leo. He charged across the room, forcing the Purple Dragons back as he whirled his bo in deadly circles, standing protectively between Mikey and the would-be attackers as his brother regained his feet.

"Leo!"

Leonardo's eyes darted in the direction of his brother's call, gritting his teeth while four gang members pressed him back. "Little busy here, Don!"

Don snarled as a chain lashed against his arm, leaving welts curving around his biceps. "Leo, they've got grenades!" He darted a quick glance over his shoulder. "You okay, Mikey?"

"Yeah," Michelangelo said breathlessly. "Just a lucky punch."

Raph risked a look away from his opponent. Mikey had freed himself from the rubble but was still moving slowly as several sinister-looking oval shapes tumbled to the ground between his feet. Raph had only averted his eyes for a fraction of a second, but it nearly proved fatal. As he was turning back, he saw Hun's arm moving up in the telltale sweep of someone bringing a firearm to bear.

"Get down!" He launched himself through the air and slammed against the undercover officer. They both went sprawling as a spray of bullets tore through the air.

"Fall back!" Leo yelled. "Raph, get that guy out of here!"

Raphael scrambled to his feet, dragging the cop up by the collar of his leather jacket. "You heard him!" he said, giving him a shove.

The cop hesitated for just a moment, then nodded grimly. "Thanks!" He darted for the door. Hun roared and fired the machine pistol again. Concrete chips flew up from the floor as bullets hit behind the running officer's heels, but he put on a final burst of speed and disappeared into the night.

Hun rounded on members of his crew. "You four! Go after him!" he bellowed. "The rest of you, take out the turtles!" There was a rush of running feet as the gang members moved to comply.

"Guys, scatter!" Leo ordered. "The windows, in back!"

Raph sheathed his sai and slipped his shuko spikes on his hands in one smooth movement as he ran, turning the prongs around to rest against the back of his hands. Splinter would frown to see the climbing tools used in such a manner, but when the pursuing gang members fell back as Raph's spiked fist whooshed inches from their faces, he figured his sensei couldn't complain too much.

He poured on the speed, sprinting between the tall stacks of wooden crates toward the back of the warehouse. He couldn't see his brothers but he could hear the angry shouts and sounds of fighting as the Purple Dragons chased after them. The staccato sound of gunfire came again. Bullets thunked into the wooden crates and ricocheted metallically off of used car parts and scrap metal stored inside.

He was almost there. Raph could hear Hun screaming another order but he couldn't understand the words over the tumult.

There were three seconds of silence.

The ground bucked under his feet and he hit the floor hard as the explosion from the grenade pounded the air. Wood and metal shards went flying, scraping over his shell. Raph scrambled to his feet, ignoring the stinging nicks the debris left in his arms and legs. When the next grenade went off, he stumbled, but he was ready for it. The wooden crates were burning and the flickering orange light made his shadow writhe against the walls.

He broke free of the maze of crates and ran headlong into the open area at the back of the warehouse. Mikey was already there, poised to climb the wall, pulling on his shuko spikes. The anxious lines in his face relaxed a little as he saw Raph and Don emerging from the stacks.

"Where's Leo?" Don asked, coughing a little from the smoke.

"There!" Mikey took a step or two back the way they had come, whole body strung tight with tension as he watched Leo run. Leo was coming as fast as he could, but the grenade blasts had blocked his way with debris and slowed him down. He had sheathed his swords to free his hands, and he had almost reached them. He crouched and sprang, vaulting over the last row of wooden boxes.

Hun threw a third grenade.

The blast rattled the walls, knocking Raph, Don, and Mikey to the floor. Leo twisted in midair, shielding his head with his arms as the crates of scrap metal shattered. The scorching shockwave from the explosion slammed Leonardo into the wall and he dropped like a stone.

Raphael struggled to his feet and bolted after his brother, ignoring the dizzying ringing in his ears and the sound of approaching gang members. Leo was huddled on the floor, gasping for breath through clenched teeth – and a hot crimson puddle was creeping across the concrete floor beneath him.

"Hang on, bro," Raph said, barely managing to force the words out past the sudden choking dread. "Just hang on. Don't fight me. Let me move you." He carefully hooked his hands around Leo's shoulders and turned him over. A terrible icy hand twisted his stomach as he saw the shards of metal embedded deep in his brother's side. The fall to the ground had jarred them. A wide gash was torn in the softer bridge between his plastron and carapace, and as Raph lifted his brother, he saw that a second piece of shrapnel had punched through the shell on the lower third of his plastron.

"Mikey, help me!" Only his years of training kept Raph from panicking. Michelangelo flew to his side. The two of them lifted Leo so he stood between them, arms heavy on their shoulders, struggling to stand on shaking legs. Don gave a shout of alarm, springing forward and swinging his bo like a bat. The grenade falling toward them hit the solid wooden weapon with a terrifying crack. It arced away from them before it exploded – close enough to stagger them, but far enough away so they stayed on their feet. And it blasted a gaping hole in the side of the warehouse.

"Move!" Raph barked. He lurched forward, hauling Leo and Mikey with him. Don brought up the rear, staying back far enough to hold off the Purple Dragons until his brothers were free of the building. Raph risked a glance back. The gang was deterred by the fire and falling debris, but it was only a matter of time before they came after them. "Don, go! Get the Battle Shell!"

Don gave one last look over his shoulder before he sheathed his bo and sprinted off into the darkness. Raphael tightened his grip on Leo and picked up the pace, hating that he had to force his brother to move faster, but knowing he didn't have a choice. He could feel the blood running in a hot slick from Leo's side down his leg. The sound of a diesel engine cut through the night and the bright sweep of headlights illuminated the dark street as the Battle Shell came tearing around the corner.

"You got him, Raph?" Mikey asked. When his brother nodded, he ducked away from beneath Leo's arm and darted forward, throwing open the back doors. Leo's arm clamped painfully around Raphael's neck and he nearly fell when Michelangelo let go, but he clenched his teeth down on a guttural moan and forced his legs to keep moving. Mikey reached down and grabbed hold of Leo's blood-soaked belt, helping Raph haul him into the back of the truck. He slammed the doors shut and hollered to Don: "We're in! Punch it!"

Raph braced himself against the wall of the armored truck and slid to the ground. It was more of a controlled fall as Leo's legs gave out, and it took all of Raph's strength to keep his brother from collapsing to the floor. He deftly unbuckled the straps that held the katana against Leo's back and tossed them aside. Leo fell back against Raph's chest, shaking as the initial shock of injury started wearing off and the real pain set in.

"Get it out," he gasped.

"You know we can't do that yet," Raph said hoarsely, catching hold of Leo's hand to keep him from pulling at the scorched metal fragments.

Leo swallowed thickly and nodded once, squeezing his eyes shut. "I know."

Mikey fell to his knees and ripped open the first aid kit, pulling out rolls of gauze and bandages. The blood running from Leo's side was already forming a pool on the metal floor. Mikey exchanged an anguished look with Raphael but moved in anyway, wrapping the bandage material firmly around Leo's middle to stabilize the metal and slow the bleeding. As the loops of gauze tightened, the cracks in his plastron ground together with a sound that sent nausea curling deep in Raph's gut.

A breathless cry escaped Leo's chest, and he flinched, reflexively moving away from Mikey's hands – but his movements lacked strength and Raph easily restrained him, wrapping one arm across his chest and curling his other hand around Leo's forehead, gently but irresistibly holding the blue-banded head against his shoulder. "Don't, Leo," he said in a low voice. "It's okay. It'll be okay. Just hold still."

Mikey pulled out the last of the bandage material. In spite of how fast he'd worked and the thickness of the wadding, the white gauze was already soaked through and blood was still flowing steadily from the wounds. Leo was growing heavy against Raph's chest, head tucked in the pocket of his brother's shoulder.

Raph had been gently rubbing Leo's cool, clammy forehead while Mikey worked. "You still with me?" he asked.

"Yeah," he said thinly.

"Atta boy." He kept his voice low and calm, but when he looked at Michelangelo, there were tears starting in his brother's eyes. Raph's own eyes narrowed as he saw the red welt burned in the right side of Mikey's neck. "What happened there?" he asked.

"Uh..." Mikey looked up, dazed and distraught, pressing a hand to the oozing wound. "Bullet grazed me, I think."

Leo stirred when he heard the reply, blinking his half-open eyes to bring his brother into focus. "You all right?"

Mikey laughed, a tremulous, watery sound. "Yeah, bro. I'm okay."

"Donny, too?"

"Donny, too."

"Raph?" Leo tilted his head back and Raph immediately looked down to meet his gaze.

"Me? 'Course I'm okay. You think those Purple Dragon punks can put a scratch on me?" Raph tightened his hold on his brother, giving him a spare, fond smile. "You're gonna be okay, too, buddy."

Leo gave him a sad little smile and blinked heavily, eyes glazed with pain. Raph had a sudden cold, dizzying feeling as if he was looking at his brother from a very long way off. And with a terrible surge of soul-wrenching pain, he knew.

"Donny. Pull over." He was surprised how the gently the words came out.

"No! We have to get him home!" Don's voice was high and brittle, like thin winter ice. "We don't have _time_ - "

"Pull over." How could he sound so calm when on the inside, he was howling, screaming, breaking apart? "Now. You need to be here." His fingertips continued gently stroking Leo's forehead.

"But Master Splinter - "

"- will understand. Stop the van, Don."

Donatello's only reply was a strangled sob, but he obeyed. The van rounded a corner and coasted gently to a stop, deep in a narrow alley, well hidden from the street. Don cut the engine. Leo's strained, shuddering breaths seemed unnaturally loud in the sudden silence. He trembled, growing heavier against Raph's chest as Don clambered out of the driver's seat to kneel at his side.

"It's okay, Fearless," Raph said softly, pressing his forehead to the crown of Leo's head. "We've got ya."

Leonardo tried and failed to reach for his brothers, but Don and Mikey saw the weak movement and they each took one of his hands, heedless of the blood that covered his palms. Leo swallowed convulsively. "I – I'm sor..."

"Don't," Mikey choked out. "Don't say it."

"Okay." Tears of pain and regret welled up in Leo's eyes and spilled over, darkening the fabric of his mask. "Tell Master Splinter..." His voice trailed off and his gaze grew distant, but he shook himself and became more alert when he heard Don start to cry. "S'okay, Donny." His breathing had changed from labored panting to steadily weakening gasps, and Raph felt his body shuddering against the pain as he fought to stay awake.

"Go to sleep, Leo," Raphael whispered gruffly. "I'll look out for Mike and Donny. It's okay to sleep."

"Raph..." The word came out on a breath as thin as a snowflake and was gone just as quickly. Leo's hands tightened around Don's and Mikey's, but he curled obediently into Raph's arms and closed his eyes. Michelangelo crawled forward and pressed his forehead against Leo's chest as keening sobs shook his body. Raphael was stone-still, holding on to Leo for as long as he could, feeling the rapid, weak flutter of his brother's pulse. One shallow, strained breath. Another. Another. And...

Raph gasped, shaken from head to toe by a sudden, savagely wrenching pain as if someone had plunged an ice pick into his plastron and torn away half the plating. Mikey cried out, and Don pitched forward as if he had been struck. But as quickly as it had come, the ripping sensation was gone, leaving a black, hollow feeling behind.

"No," Donatello gasped. "No."

The tears pressing against the backs of Raph's eyes finally spilled over. Still holding Leo's body cradled in his left arm, Raph reached out and put his right hand on the back of Don's neck. Don allowed himself to be pulled forward until his head was on Raph's shoulder. He pressed close to Raph and Leo, reaching out to drape his arm across Mikey's shell. Michelangelo didn't acknowledge it – he just hugged Leo tighter, sobbing so hard he could hardly breathe.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

They buried Leonardo out at Casey's farm.

Donatello meticulously removed every bloodstain from Leo's gear and mask while Splinter tended to his fallen son. Raphael's chest hurt watching his Sensei – looking so much grayer and older than he had the day before – carefully removing the shrapnel from Leo's body and washing away the blood and soot. His clawed hands eased Leo's limbs back into their combat gear and replaced his mask.

Leonardo was laid to rest with his katana in a sheltered grove of ancient evergreens that Mikey found a short distance from the farmhouse. Casey had offered to help dig the grave, but the turtles wouldn't let him. Instead, their burly friend was forced to stand aside, shifting his feet in helpless sorrow as April cried softly against his shoulder.

The only other person the family allowed to share their grief was Usagi. Mikey had been the one to remember the ronin and mention his name to Splinter. Usagi watched silently as Leonardo's brothers filled the grave with earth. The light from the setting sun touched his stricken face and turned his white fur a bloody shade of red.

Don let his shovel fall to the ground and turned away, shoulders shaking with silent sobs. April took a deep breath, lifting her head bravely, and crossed the clearing to put her hand on his arm. She gave him a little tug and he came unresistingly into her arms, hiding his face against her shoulder.

Raphael hurled his shovel away. The metal blade sank halfway into the ground and stuck, the handle quivering for a second or two before going still. He could feel more than one pair of eyes on him but he didn't look up. He turned away, dragging his forearm across his blurred, stinging eyes.

The silence shattered as deep, hoarse sobs shuddered from Splinter's chest. The sound sliced into Raphael like a blade. His hands clenched into fists, and he started to shake.

He couldn't stay there any longer. He started walking, but after less than a dozen yards, he started to run. He ran as fast as he could, ran until night fell and his lungs burned and his body ached. As the moon lifted itself over the towering trees, he stumbled to a halt. Raph bent over with his hands propped on his knees, chest heaving. His breath hissed between his clenched teeth, floating in steaming clouds around his head in the chilly autumn air. His mask was wet and cold where his tears had soaked the crimson fabric.

Leo's absence was a savage ache in his heart. Every time he looked down, he expected to see a gaping hole ripped in his plastron, but the scuffed shell was solid and whole. He didn't understand how it could be that way when he hurt so damn much. His chest felt so tight and stretched with pain that he thought he would fly apart.

Raphael screamed. He dropped to his hands and knees and dug his fingers into the cold earth as all his rage, all his grief, and all his love for his brother came pouring out. He screamed again and again, until his throat felt shredded and his lungs ached for want of air. He knelt there for several minutes, catching his breath, skin prickly and cold beneath a sheen of drying sweat. The mournful call of a great horned owl echoed through the trees.

He listed to the side, turning a bit so his carapace thunked to rest against a tree in a barely-controlled fall. The stars above him blurred and ran together as his eyes filled again – but he gritted his teeth and held his breath, and he did not let the tears fall. A soft breeze rustled in the canopy overhead. He shivered a bit, sensing the falling temperature and the scent of frost in the air. It would be a cold day tomorrow. At least the hard freeze had held off for one more day so they could bury their brother.

The wind died down, leaving him in utter silence. His chest was still achingly hollow. It no longer felt as if it would tear him apart, but he felt as if he'd never be able to draw breath normally again. His body still felt the burn of exertion, and although he felt indescribably weary, he knew he had to get moving before his muscles grew cold and stiff. He sighed, rose to his feet, and began the long trek home.

By the time Raph made it back, the farmhouse was dark and silent. The front door was bolted, but April always left one of the upstairs windows unlocked for them. He climbed the oak tree that stood beside the house, opened the window without making the old frame rattle, and slipped inside. He took a quick shower to wash off the worst of the sweat and dirt, then crept into the attic room that he and his brothers shared. He found his way to his bed in the dark and folded onto the mattress, sinking gratefully beneath the black forgetfulness of sleep.

Raphael shuddered awake out of a dream of fire and blood. The first gray light of dawn was creeping in the narrow windows, and he sat up in bed, rubbing his face wearily. Donny was still dead to the world on the other side of the room, maskless face weary and sad even in sleep. And Mikey...

Raph frowned. Mikey's bed was empty, and the blanket was gone. His frown deepened as he realized he'd never checked to make sure his brothers were actually there when he'd returned. He climbed out of bed and crossed the room on silent feet to stand next to Don's bed. He reached out and very lightly rested the back of his hand against his brother's face, relieved when the skin beneath his hand felt cool to the touch. Don had recently begun spiking fevers at night – an issue he'd made them aware of in passing, but he tried not to draw too much attention to it. It hadn't interfered with his ability to function and they all trusted Don to tell them if he was truly sick, so Leo had given him some leeway in how to deal with the slow-healing injury the mutant had given him.

Raph brushed his hand across Don's forehead again in a fond gesture he'd never make if his brother were aware of him. Despite the fact that all four of them were independent, highly trained ninjas, Leonardo had always taken the role of protector for his brothers. His efforts had been met with everything from gratitude to amused tolerance to fond (or, in Raph's case, not so fond) exasperation – but they had still let him, because even though they didn't really need a caretaker, they knew that Leonardo needed to care for them. A desolate, hollow feeling settled in Raph's chest as he realized that it would be _his_ job to keep tabs on Don and Mikey now. Speaking of Mikey... He sighed sadly and went in search of his brother.

Feathery white frost glistened on every blade of grass and every leaf. He moved off toward the woods, suppressing a shiver as a chilly breeze caressed his shoulders.

He found Mikey right where he knew he'd be: sitting at Leonardo's grave, huddled against the marker that Casey had made. Usagi had asked permission to have a proper headstone made and Splinter had given his assent, but none of them had wanted to leave the grave unmarked, even temporarily. But Casey had surprised them all – he hadn't slept, but had stayed up in the barn all night before the burial, carving Leonardo's name in a wooden marker in plain, strong letters, and polishing the smooth wood until it gleamed.

If Michelangelo heard Raphael coming, he gave no sign. His blanket was wrapped around his shoulders, but Raph could see him shivering as he approached. The thick frost had coated the folds of the blanket and the tails of his mask in shimmering crystals.

Raph released a breath, a long sad sigh that floated in front of his face like a cloud. "Aw, Mikey," he whispered. Mikey didn't look around as his brother pulled away the cold-stiffened blanket and wrapped the second blanket around his trembling shoulders. After a moment of thought, Raph lifted the edge of the blanket again and sat down beside Mikey, pulling the warm fleece around them both. He wrapped his arm around his brother and pulled him close against his body, clamping his teeth together on the involuntary gasp that struggled to escape as he felt the chill from the ground and from Mikey's skin.

Michelangelo didn't resist, ducking his head to rest it against Raph's chest, shaking even harder when he broke into quiet sobs. "I d-didn't want him to be alone." His voice quivered both from tears and the cold.

Raphael shut his eyes, breathing carefully around the pain that filled his chest with jagged edges. "I know," he said softly. He sat there with his grieving brother, tracing the outline of Leonardo's name with his eyes over and over again, wondering how in the world they were going to manage without him. Leo had been gone for months while training with the Ancient One. His absence had been difficult, but they'd never doubted that he'd come back when he could. But now...

The soft sound of frozen grass bending beneath careful footsteps made him lift his head. He wasn't surprised to see Don approaching. Don's eyes flicked to Mikey's shaking form in concern, but Raph just shook his head a little and mouthed, _He's all right._

Don sighed. "Mikey..."

"Don't say it," Mikey forced out. "I know what you're gonna say, Don, but just don't."

"No, Mikey, you don't know what I'm going to say." Don braced a hand on Raphael's shoulder for support as he knelt beside them, reaching out to rub Mikey's head with his other hand. "I was going to say that I understand why you came out here."

"I just want him back," Mikey said brokenly.

Don's hand clamped on Raph's shoulder so tightly that it pinched a nerve, sending a streak of pain shooting up his neck. Raph winced and lifted his head to give his brother a half-hearted glare, but paused when he saw the faraway, thoughtful look in Don's eyes.

"What if we could?"

Raph scowled. "Donny, what - ?"

"Hush, Raph. Think. What if we could get Leo back?"

Mikey lifted his head. "What do you mean?"

Don swallowed hard, hesitating, but after a moment, he ventured: "The time scepter."

Raphael froze. Pain of loss and a sudden surge of hope threatened to wrench his soul in two. He squeezed his eyes shut, shaking his head. He couldn't allow himself to hope – couldn't believe there was a chance only to fail and lose Leo again – but...the _time scepter..._

Mikey was holding his breath. "Do you really think we could?"

Don's hand trembled against Raphael's shoulder. "I don't know. But...we have to try, don't we?"

Mikey sat up, pulling off his mask to palm the tears away from his eyes before replacing the orange band again. "But how? We've never been the ones to contact Lord Simultaneous before. It's always been him or Renet showing up out of the blue and causing chaos."

"The Daimyo might know," Don answered slowly.

The faintest glimmer of hope began to dawn in Michelangelo's eyes. "I can remember the drawing to open the portal," he said hesitantly, "but...Leo's the one who knew the chant."

"Usagi knows it." Raph's voice was deep and rough, as if he had swallowed rocks. His heartbeat thrummed heavily in his veins, nearly shaking him with its intensity.

Don looked at his brother, noticing the tension stringing through his frame. "Raph, what are you thinking?" he asked quietly.

Raph lifted his head, jaw firm. "It's Leo. We have to try."

"Is Usagi still asleep?" Mikey asked.

Don shook his head. "I saw him out behind the barn on my way over here."

Raph stood and reached down to give Mikey a hand up. "And how exactly are we gonna ask him to get us to the Battle Nexus?"

Don's brown eyes held a keen, distant look behind his mask. "Let me do the talking."

Raphael and Mikey fell in behind Don as he led them back toward the farmhouse. The sun rolled up over the horizon, causing the frost to glimmer with cold fire. Usagi was still dressed in his mourning clothes, a black and white statue sitting on a weathered wooden bench on the far side of the barn. His sheathed sword lay across his knees. Both hands were curled around the weapon, and his back was ramrod-straight as he stared ahead into the woods.

Despite his appearance of being lost in thought, his ears twitched the moment the turtles came into view. He stood, returned his sword to its place on his belt, and bowed to them as they approached. "Hello, my friends," he said quietly. The three turtles returned his bow. Raph and Mikey stayed just behind Don, waiting for him to take the lead.

Don paused for a beat or two before he spoke. "I don't think we've said it, Usagi," he began, "but...we're grateful that you're here."

Usagi nodded. "I am honored that you asked me. There are many who will mourn Leonardo-san's passing. I am...glad to pay my respects." His hand clenched a little tighter on the hilt of his sword and a spasm of pain flashed across his whiskered face. "Donatello-san, there is a question I must ask you. The last time I saw Leonardo, he was struggling with some personal demons. I need to know...was he able to make peace with himself?"

Guilt coiled hard and heavy in Raph's gut. Usagi had made a brief visit at Splinter's request earlier in the year, during one of Leonardo's darkest times. He had attempted to reach out to Leo, but Leo had been too far gone to listen. Leo had parted coldly from his friend, and even though it had been months since he'd returned from his journey to the Ancient One, their lives had been in upheaval ever since. Between the destruction of the lair by the Foot, the mutant outbreak, and the period of three months when Renet had stranded them in the Cretaceous period, they hadn't taken the time to contact Usagi.

Raph could see the regret on Don's face as well. "He did," Don answered, managing a thin but sincere smile. "It...it wasn't easy, but we got our Leo back."

Usagi's face brightened a little. It wasn't exactly a smile, but some of the pain receded from his eyes. "I am glad to hear it," he said softly.

Don paused for just a moment before taking a short breath and saying, "Usagi-san, I was wondering if you could help us. The Daimyo and Master Splinter have been friends for a long time, and I don't want him to hear about Leo from anyone else. Would you be able to help us get to the Battle Nexus?"

Usagi blinked at them in mild surprise. "Now?"

Don nodded. Raphael was careful to keep his face neutral. Don hadn't said anything that was untrue, but it still had felt like a lie. Raph almost felt guilty for a moment – but then he thought of Leo bleeding out in his arms, felt the cold vacancy where his brother should be, and he shoved the doubts away where they couldn't touch him, ignoring the very Leonardo-like voice in the back of his mind that said, "_The ends don't justify the means."_

But Usagi sighed a little and nodded once. "I will help you."

"Thanks," Don said, trying to smile.

Mikey jogged back to the farmhouse, returning a few minutes later with a piece of chalk. It only took him a moment or two to sketch the drawing for the portal on the side of the barn. Usagi lifted his folded hands and closed his eyes, chanting deep in his throat. The chalk lines glowed blue-white before the arch filled with undulating waves of light as the portal opened.

"The doorway is ready," Usagi said. "I will tell Splinter-san where you have gone so he will not worry."

"Thanks, Usagi," Mikey answered. He squared his shoulders and slipped through the light, Don close behind. Raphael took a deep breath and stepped forward, the sensation of stepping through a cool sheet of water washing over him as he followed his brothers through the portal.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The air inside the battle nexus was humid and warm. It swirled thickly in Raph's chest as he breathed, a startling change from the crisp fall day back home. He cast his gaze around the familiar landscape – the tan, dusty ground climbing over itself in rocky mounds to the severe elegance of the Daimyo's palace high above.

The three brothers looked at each other briefly before Don stepped in front and started leading the way to the palace. They had only covered a short bit of ground before the air in front of them warped and twisted, and with a subtle _pop_, Gyoji materialized in front of them.

"Greetings, turtles." He bowed as best as he could with his legs folded beneath him in a lotus position.

Donatello bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Gyoji. We're sorry for the short notice, but we were wondering if we could see the Daimyo."

The expression on the mask-like face did not change, but something about Gyoji's eyes changed to make him look warmer and more welcoming. "But of course. The Daimyo has sensed your presence in his realm and sent me to bring you to him." Without waiting for a response, the semitransparent being twirled his war paddle. Raph shuffled his feet uneasily as the ground beneath him quivered, glowed, and began to slowly swallow him up. Even though he had been transported by Gyoji before, the sensation of sinking into the earth still made his skin crawl. He held his breath as his head slipped beneath the surface. There was a moment of utter dark and silence, then sight, smell, and hearing returned in a rush as the transport bubble surfaced in the wide entryway of the palace.

The sound of running feet echoed off the stone walls. Raphael tensed when he saw the Daimyo's son bounding toward them with an enthusiastic smile on his face.

"Turtle-sans! Father told me you had come!"

"Hey there!" Mikey grinned as he bowed to the little prince, then reached out to ruffle his hair. Raph swallowed hard and averted his gaze. His brother's face was lit with a sunny expression, but only the few people who truly _knew_ Michelangelo would be able to see the pain in his eyes. The Daimyo's son bowed to Donatello as well, but he faltered a little at Raph's grim expression. Raph ducked his head and bowed curtly to avoid looking at the boy's upturned face.

"But where is Leonardo-san?" the Daimyo's son asked.

"Leo couldn't come this time," Don answered.

The boy's face fell a little in disappointment. "Oh."

Raph kept his face carefully blank. In his mind, it didn't matter that the Daimyo's son was young again and had no memory of his past. This was someone who had once tried to harm his family, and Raph would never trust him. True, he was just a child now...but he had been a child once before and had turned into a killer.

"Follow me," the prince said.

Raph expected that they would be led to the throne room, but instead the prince took them to a sunlit parlor where the Daimyo stood waiting for them. He wasn't wearing his ceremonial mask, and his bearded face was kind as he smiled. "Hello, my friends," he rumbled. "It has been too long since we have last met."

The turtles joined the Daimyo and his son around the low table in the center of the room while an attendant carried tea in. Raphael knelt between his brothers, choking down his tea in silence. His heart was thumping heavily and he felt as if little jolts of static electricity were skittering along his nerves. He was sure his pulse was audible in the quiet room, but the Daimyo didn't seem to notice his tension.

When the last drop of tea was gone and the attendants had left them alone, the Daimyo turned to Donatello. "How has your family been, Donatello-san? I trust that your sensei is well."

Don smiled politely. "He's spending some time with friends, sir."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"Actually, sir, with your permission, we have a request to make of you."

"Of course. How can I help you?"

"We were wondering if you could help us contact Lord Simultaneous," Don answered.

The Daimyo didn't answer right away, blinking at them in astonishment. "I can," he answered slowly, "but why do you need him?"

"My brothers and I have spent quite a bit of time with Renet," Don replied. "She's become a friend, but we don't have any way to contact her."

In spite of the desperate need to try and get Leo back, a chill ran down Raph's spine at the way Don could so easily evade the truth without telling a lie. Raph was sure – well, _pretty_ sure – that he or Mikey would have been able to see through Don's answer-that-wasn't-an-answer...but the Daimyo didn't know Donatello like his family did.

The Daimyo's face relaxed into a smile. "I understand." He clapped his hands, and Gyoji materialized at his side. "Send word to Lord Simultaneous that Hamato Donatello and his brothers wish to speak with Renet." The little man bowed deeply and blinked out.

The Daimyo turned his attention back to the three brothers. "The next Battle Nexus Championship will be in a year. Will we see you return to defend your title, Michelangelo?"

Mikey smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "I, uh...I hadn't really thought about it," he said.

Donatello shifted his weight a little to ease the tightness in his leg. The Daimyo's son, seated next to him, peered at the bandage wrapped around his thigh. "What happened to you?" he asked shyly.

Don looked down. "Oh, that? It's nothing serious. I got nicked by a giant human cockroach mutant."

The boy's eyes widened. "A _what?"_

"Yeah, New York has been having a bit of a mutant problem," Mikey said.

"What's a mutant?"

"_I'm_ a mutant!" Mikey answered with a grin. "Except the ones running around New York definitely aren't as handsome as I am. They're more ugly. Like Raph." He then launched into an energetic retelling of their recent adventures involving New York's mutant outbreak. Even though Raph had rolled his eyes at the teasing, he was grateful for Mikey filling the silence and holding the attention of the Daimyo and his son. He really didn't feel like talking, and it meant that he could sit in silence while waiting for Gyoji to reappear; it also meant that the Daimyo couldn't ask them any more questions.

A sudden flare of light interrupted Mikey's account of Raph nearly getting eaten by a mutant, and when they blinked the sparks from their eyes, Renet was standing in the middle of the room.

"Donny!" she squealed. She bounded across the room and threw her arms around his neck from behind, nearly clocking him in the head with the time scepter.

Gyoji's face was as expressionless as ever, but his eyes looked a bit narrow as he stared at Renet. Raph guessed the little guy was tweaked that he hadn't been able to announce her formally – but he didn't have much time to think about it, because Renet was bouncing towards _him. _He wasn't sure if he was supposed to catch her or hold her off, but before he had time to decide, she was hugging him so tightly around the neck that she was in danger of strangling him.

"It's so good to see you!" she chirped in his ear.

"Uh – "

But before he could come up with a reply, she'd let go of him and flown at Mikey. He was ready for her, though, lifting her off the ground as she hugged him. "Hi, stranger!" he said with a smile. "Long time no see!"

"Oh, gosh, I _know,_ right? I, like, totally did not expect to see you until – wait, no, I don't think I can tell you that," she stammered. Mikey took advantage of her confusion to disengage himself from her embrace, watching her in amusement as she backpedaled. "Well, there wasn't any _guarantee_ that would happen in the first place," she went on, backhanding the air flippantly. Then she paused. "...Actually, now that I think about it...I don't think it happens after all. Which is weird, because last time I looked through the Orb of Hindsight, I was going to be with you four and we were..." She tilted her head curiously. "Hey, where's Leo?"

"He's back home," Don answered.

"Aww, why didn't he come too?"

A deep growl broke the silence that followed her question as Mikey's stomach rumbled, the sound seeming to echo beneath his plastron. Renet burst out laughing, patting Mikey's shoulder sympathetically. "When's the last time you ate?" she asked, giggling.

"Uh..." Mikey rubbed the back of his head, glancing at his brothers as he tried to remember. "Maybe yesterday?"

He was right, Raph realized. April had made them eat breakfast the day before, but they'd spent the afternoon preparing to bury Leonardo...and Raph hadn't touched food since he'd run from the gravesite the evening before. Apparently his brothers hadn't eaten, either.

"What?" she squeaked incredulously. "Oh, you guys have _got_ to come back with me!" she said, jumping up and down in excitement. "You can get some food and you can see where I live! You've never been there before!"

Don smiled at her enthusiasm. "Sure! Sounds good."

"Really? Oh wow, I thought I'd have to talk you into it. And don't worry, I can _totally_ cook," she said. "I know you might not believe me since the last time we were together all I had was prehistoric fish, but even though I hate dusting, I like making food." She waved the time scepter with a flourish. "Come on!"

The three turtles stood and bowed respectfully to the Daimyo and his son. "Thank you for the tea, and for assisting us," Donatello said.

"It was good to see you," the Daimyo replied with a majestic nod.

The three turtles hardly had time to gather around Renet before the scepter began to glow. Raphael couldn't suppress an anxious shudder, but Don put a steadying hand on his shoulder – and the next moment, they winked out of existence.

They materialized in a wide, brightly lit hallway. "Here we are!" Renet announced, holding her arms out and spinning around in a circle.

In spite of his anxiety and sorrow, Raph couldn't help being impressed by the surroundings. Arching windows looked out on a clear blue sky and the gleaming marble floor was spotless, stretching out of sight to the right and the left.

"What do you guys think?" Renet asked, bouncing a little on her toes.

"Whoa...nice pad!" Mikey said, tilting his head back to look at the gold ceiling high overhead.

"So! You guys hungry?"

The turtles exchanged a brief glance. "Yeah, Renet, we are," Don said, "but...we need to talk to you about something first." He stepped forward and took a deep breath. "We wanted to see you," he said slowly, "but we also needed to come and talk to Lord Simultaneous and we couldn't tell the Daimyo why. Something's happened back at home and we need his help."

The enthusiasm faded a bit from her face as Don spoke. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I think it'd be best if we told Lord Simultaneous," Don said hesitantly. "Will you take us to him?"

She didn't answer for a moment or two, but finally nodded. "Okay. Follow me." She beckoned to them and headed down the hall, the sharp sound of her boots echoing off the marble pillars. She stopped in front of a set of massive golden doors that stretched all the way to the ceiling. Each door looked as if it weighed a thousand pounds, but she placed her palm against the burnished metal and opened the door with a little push.

"Renet! Back already?" Lord Simultaneous looked up, face creasing in a welcoming smile as he caught sight of Raphael and his brothers. "Ah, boys! This is a pleasant surprise." The diminutive man was seated behind a large wooden desk with several maps spread out in front of him. Raph couldn't see them clearly, but he could tell that the maps weren't of any place he was familiar with. The walls of the room were lined with clocks. Some clocks had five or seven hands; some were half-moon shaped, and some had markings that Raph knew to be numbers but couldn't interpret.

Simultaneous rose to his feet and came out from behind the desk. "What brings you here? Besides my impulsive assistant," he added, giving Renet a wry but indulgent smile.

"We actually wanted to talk to you, Lord Simultaneous," Don said, stepping forward. "We...we have a request to make of you."

Simultaneous tilted his head. "Oh?"

Don took a steadying breath. "I don't know how to say this, but our brother, Leonardo, has been killed." He heard Renet's dismayed gasp, but didn't look around. Heart thundering in fear and hope, he dared to voice his request. "Raphael, Michelangelo and I have come to ask that you use the time scepter to bring him back."

There was a long silence. Finally, Simultaneous spoke. "I'm sorry about your brother," he said. "Leonardo was a good kid. I wish I could help you. I really do. But I can't."

Raphael lifted his head. "What do you mean, it can't be done?" he demanded. Hearing Leo – _Leo_ – dismissed as merely "a good kid" made him angrier than the casual refusal of their request. "We've _seen_ what the time scepter can do. You brought back the Daimyo's son and he was nothing more than a pile of ash!"

"You've seen the Daimyo's son," Simultaneous said sharply. "He's not who he was before. That part of him is gone. There's only so much the time scepter can do. The Daimyo has a second chance, but with a new son." The Time Lord sighed heavily, shoulders slumping. "There's a reason I brought him back so young. There's enough of a memory imprint for him to know that the Daimyo is his father, but no more. I don't know if the Daimyo realizes how little of his son remains, but having the boy back, having a second chance, is enough for him and he has never questioned it. He could not have had the same chance with his grown son.

"So yes, the time scepter could restore your brother to life. But he wouldn't be Leonardo. You'd have to choose: do you bring him back as he is? He will know that he is your brother, but he will also know that he will never be who you want him to be – who you _need_ him to be. Or do you bring him back as a child and raise him, all while trying to decide when – or if – to tell him the truth?"

There was a terrible, aching silence. Even without looking at his brothers to gauge their reaction, Raph knew that to make either choice was impossible.

"Then take us back," Don said desperately. "Take us back so we can save him."

Simultaneous' face was full of pity, but stern. "You know that can't be done. It would create two parallel timelines: one where Leonardo lives, and one where he dies. You still would lose your brother, and the risks to your own timeline are too great. Time cannot be split in that way. Parallel timelines are unstable. There is a chance that both timelines could fail. It wouldn't just be the end of the world. It would be the end of existence."

"_T__hat's not true!"_ The ferocity of Donatello's outburst made Raph and Mikey look over at their brother in alarm. Donatello was shaking, knuckles blanched as his hands curled into fists. "Parallel timelines _do_ exist. I've _been_ there, I've _seen_ – !" His words tangled in his throat and he couldn't continue.

Raph could feel Mikey looking at him and his eyes cut over to meet his brother's gaze. They knew what Don was talking about and why he couldn't go on. It had taken several weeks after Draco's attack on the lair before Donatello had been able to bring himself to tell his brothers about what he had experienced in the alternate reality. His tale had left all four of them grave and shaken, and they had not spoken of it since.

"Time flows like a river," Simultaneous said. "Branching into alternate timelines is inevitable, and if it happens naturally, it's stable. But you can't _force_ an alternate timeline. It's like putting a dam in a stream – it'll hold for a while, but someday the dam will break. I don't expect you to understand."

Don didn't answer. He bowed his head, utterly defeated. Raph bristled, angry all over again at the patronizing tone in Simultaneous' voice – as if _Donny_ wouldn't understand – but he felt Mikey's hand on his arm, saw the infinitesimal shake of the orange-banded head...and, with an effort, swallowed back the furious outburst that had risen in his throat.

"There has to be something you can do," Mike said pleadingly.

"I can't." Lord Simultaneous sat down again behind his desk, signaling the end of their conversation. "You may stay here until you are rested, and then Renet will return you to your timeline. She will take you back to the moment you left so your Master will not know you have gone." He sighed sadly. "Boys...sometimes death and loss happens, and nothing can - or should - be done about it. I can't solve every problem or right every wrong. I wouldn't be doing my duty as time lord if I did. But...for what it's worth, I am truly very sorry."

"Come on, guys," Renet said quietly. She put a tentative hand on Don's arm, giving him a little tug towards the door. He didn't resist, but turned and followed her, Mikey and Raph close behind. The golden doors swung closed behind them with an echoing _thud_. Renet led them down the hall for a short distance before pushing open the door to a wide, sunlit atrium. She gestured for the turtles to enter, then came in behind them and closed the door, slumping dejectedly back against it.

Raph heard Renet sniffling softly but couldn't look up at her. He had tried not to hope, but he couldn't help placing faith in Don's ideas. Donny was almost never wrong. But now the meager, brazen hope he'd kindled to life inside his chest was gone, leaving cold ash behind.

"Renet...we're sorry we didn't tell you," Mikey said. "We just...we thought the fewer people knew, the easier it would be to...to get Leo back," he finished dispiritedly.

"I know," she said in a small voice. She sighed shakily. "What happened?"

Donatello was too despondent to speak, so Raphael took a deep breath and haltingly told Renet what had happened two days before. She listened without interrupting, silent tears trickling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry," she choked out when he was finished. "I don't watch you guys all the time...I didn't know it would happen. If I had..."

"If you had, you couldn't have interfered," Don broke in quietly. "That's not how your job works."

"I know. That doesn't make it any easier," she replied. She did her best to swallow her tears and dry her eyes. "Do...do you guys want anything to eat? Do you want to stay?" she asked hesitantly.

"I don't think so," Don said. "But thanks. We will some other time, though."

She managed a small smile, knowing that his answer was sincere. "Okay." The smile didn't stay, though, as she looked down at the time scepter in her hands. For once, she didn't look excited to do her job.

Raph's whole body thrummed with tension, and he clenched his hands to keep them from shaking. He couldn't believe they just had to give up. He couldn't believe that Leo was lost to them forever. The pressure built inside his chest until the words spilled out of him: "Let us save him."

He spoke softly, but Renet flinched as if he had shouted at her. She looked up sharply, staring at him with red-rimmed eyes. "What?"

Raph's jaw firmed. "You heard me. Take us back. Let us save him. Please." Mikey and Don stared. For Raph, the simple request was akin to begging.

Renet looked stricken. "You know I can't do that. Lord Simultaneous told you about the parallel timelines. You can't just leave time split like that and expect everything to be okay."

Don looked up, eyes suddenly razor-sharp. "You can't 'leave time split'?" he asked.

Renet huffed, a shadow of her sass showing through now that she was getting annoyed. "What did I just _say_?"

"What if you merged the timelines?" Don asked quietly.

Her blue eyes grew even wider in shock. "Do _what_ now?" she squeaked.

"We go back and save Leo. A parallel timeline is created, but you merge the timelines together to prevent instability. Can you do that?"

"I – I...you _are_ crazy!" she snapped, forgetting her grief in her distress. "A parallel universe is bad enough, but merging a timeline is, like... _really _bad!"

A fierce light came into Raph's eyes. "So it _can_ be done."

"What do you mean 'bad'?" Don asked.

"Like, timeline destruction bad! Armageddon bad! _Death_ bad!"

Mikey gulped. "Whose death?"

"Yours! Everyone's!" Fear, real fear was in her eyes now. Even as a prisoner of Savanti Romero, the turtles had never seen her look like that. "You don't understand what you're asking me to do. Merging timelines is forbidden. It creates even more instability than a parallel universe. If the source of the instability isn't eliminated, the timeline will destroy itself!"

Don took a deep breath, already guessing the answer but needing her to say it. "And the source of the instability would be...?"

"Duh! You!" She planted her fists on her hips. "No matter where or when people travel through time, they have a temporal resonance that's linked to their home dimension. If I merged the timelines, there would be twin resonances of each of you in the merged timeline because you wouldn't have a home dimension anymore. The dual resonances would repel each other like the same poles of a magnet; it could rip the universe apart!"

Michelangelo ventured, "So in order for the timelines to be stable..."

Her face was as grave as they had ever seen it. "You wouldn't be able to stay there, but you wouldn't have a home dimension to return to. Merging the timelines would destroy you."

The brothers shared a long look. Don beckoned to them with a tilt of his head and they withdrew a few paces, bending their heads together. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

"It's a big risk," Raph said slowly. "And not just for us. We're talkin' about the entire freakin' universe."

Mikey looked scared and sad. "What do you think Leo would do?"

"Weighing his life against trillions of others?" Don shook his head. "And it's not just Earth. It's everyone we've ever known on any planet anywhere. And I don't know if it would affect other worlds like the Daimyo's or Usagi's. Who knows how far-reaching the destruction would go if it didn't work? And..." He sighed. "...he wouldn't want us to die for him."

Raph snorted. "Leo lost his vote when he up and got himself killed."

"Leo would sacrifice himself if it meant saving one of _us_," Mikey said quietly. His eyes were bright with tears, but he was smiling. Donatello took a long, slow breath, then nodded once, mirroring the smile on his brother's face.

Raph cuffed each brother gently on the back of the head. "Right. Let's get this show on the road, then."

Don looked back at their friend, who had turned her head to stare fixedly out the window. Her fingers were wrapped crushingly tight around the time scepter. "Renet..."

"Oh, shut up!" she snapped tearfully. She didn't look at him. "You know I'm going to do it."

Michelangelo took a shaky breath. "Will we know what we did?" he asked. "I mean...will we remember?"

"No. Everything that happened since Leo died won't have happened. Time will just keep going. You won't remember coming here because you'll never do it. You won't know you've died because you won't have existed. The only place you'll ever have existed is...here."

"So _you'll _know, won't you?" Mikey asked. When Renet didn't answer, he gave a sad little sigh. "I'm sorry."

"I know," she whispered. She gripped the scepter in both hands, face a mixture of fear and sorrow. "I don't know how long I can hold things steady," she warned them shakily.

"It'll be okay," Don said. He pulled his bo from its sheath and spun it in his hands, giving his brothers a tight smile as they drew their weapons and prepared themselves for a fight. "Keep out of sight, guys," he said. "Mikey, you and I will focus on keeping the Dragons busy. Raph...you get to Leo." Mikey grinned fiercely, twirling his nunchaku before catching the handles under his arms. Raph clenched his hands around the prongs of his sai, face dark and determined.

Renet lifted the scepter and a sphere of brilliant blue-white light engulfed them.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The three brothers flared into existence in the middle of chaos. They shrank together, back-to-back, as the sounds of shouting and gunfire rang through the warehouse. Raph could hear Hun bellowing over the din – as well as echoes of his own voice and the voices of his brothers, which sent an eerie shudder through his body.

"Okay, guys," he said, "let's hurry up and get Leo out of here before - " His words cut off as the ground beneath his feet shook, rattling the building. "What the shell?" A harsh crackle like the sound of a downed power line cut through the din. The breath caught in his throat as the air in front of him seemed to rip itself apart, leaving a cold black breach with edges that glowed with blinding white light. Even as he watched, the breach trembled and seemed to grow. More rents appeared above and below them, and a sound like thunder shook the air.

"Guess this is what Renet was talking about," Mikey said tightly.

"Let's not stand around, then!" Raph said. "Come on!" The three of them darted off, clinging to the shadows, staying out of view of their past selves and taking down confused Purple Dragons. Raph set off at a dead run for the far side of the warehouse. "_Raph, get that guy out of here!"_ The sound of Leo's voice filled him with both relief and dread – his brother was still unhurt, but he didn't have much time.

A gang member plowed into him from behind a stack of crates, sending him crashing across the aisle. Raph snarled as he bounded to his feet, trading blows with the taller man before managing to disarm him with a twist of his sai. The Dragon lunged after him, but Raph was faster. He ducked under the wildly thrown fist and came up swinging, sending the man sprawling in an unconscious heap.

The lights flickered as more rifts opened overhead, and he could hear the alternate Michelangelo yelp: "_What the shell are those?"_

"_I don't know, but stay away from them!"_ Donatello warned.

"_Ya __**think**__?"_

Hun's enraged bellow rattled the walls. "_You four! Go after him! The rest of you, take out the turtles!"_

"_Guys, scatter! The windows, in back!"_

Breath hissed between Raphael's clenched teeth and he bounded to the side of the warehouse where he knew Leo would be. He heard Hun screaming and ducked behind another stack of crates, hunkering down as the explosion from the first grenade pounded the air. Heart thundering within his chest, he sprang up and started running again. He knew the second grenade would be launched any moment now, but he couldn't waste any more time...

The air tore open directly at his feet, and he skidded to a stop, arms pinwheeling wildly to keep from falling in. He dodged around the growing rift, but it the delay had caused him to lose count of the seconds between blasts. He wasn't sure when Hun would throw the next grenade, but he knew it wouldn't be long. All he had to do was get to Leo and –

_**BOOM!**_

A wall of debris crashed into him. It sent him sprawling, and he hit the ground hard enough to knock his breath away. He thrashed violently against the shattered wood and masonry pinning him to the floor, but it didn't shift easily. A flash of blue caught his eye, and he saw Leonardo streaking across the warehouse, springing up and over obstacles with fluid ease. Raph's heart turned ice. A wordless, anguished cry tore out of his throat. With strength born of desperation, he clawed himself free, but he was too late, he'd never make it to Leo in time now –

Across the warehouse, his cry reached Leonardo's ears, and the blue-banded turtle slowed and turned, instinctively drawn to his brother's voice.

Hun roared in fury and threw a third grenade.

Raphael picked up a brick - hefting it in his hand just long enough to mutter, "Sorry, bro" - and hurled it at Leonardo with all the strength he had left. He tarried just long enough to make sure Leo went down, then turned and raced back the way he had come. The grenade exploded in a cloud of flame and debris. Raph stumbled as shrapnel thunked into the back of his shell, the impact rocking him and sending a painful shudder through his bones, but he kept running back to where his brothers were waiting for him. He fetched up next to them covered in splinters and soot. "It's done," he said, panting heavily.

"Leo's okay?" Mikey asked. Raph nodded once.

The ground trembled beneath them, and the ice-cold rifts in time gathered around them. Raph wheeled around as more detonations tore through the air; the grenades had triggered a chain of explosions, and the fire was sweeping closer. Mikey and Don bumped into his shell, retreating instinctively from the dark void yawning open behind them. Raph turned to look at them. His mouth opened, but he found that he was unable to speak - but they just smiled at him.

A wave of blistering heat washed over them as the explosions grew closer. Raph threw his arms around his brothers to shield them as they huddled together on the floor, walled in by fire and ice. The flames roared forward, but when the fire reached where they had been, the brothers had disappeared into the void.

**xxxxx**

"Fall back!" Leo yelled. "Raph, get that guy out of here!"

Raphael scrambled to his feet, dragging the cop up by the collar of his leather jacket. "You heard him!" he said, giving him a shove.

The cop hesitated for just a moment, then nodded grimly. "Thanks!" He darted for the door. Hun roared and fired the machine pistol again. Concrete chips flew up from the floor as bullets hit behind the running officer's heels, but he put on a final burst of speed and disappeared into the night.

The lights flickered and the ground shook, and Raph lifted his eyes in shock as a black rent rimmed by shifting white light appeared in midair. In the blink of an eye, more rips appeared, quivering and growing as if the room were threatening to come apart at the seams.

"What the shell are those?" Mikey yelped, hurling himself to the side as the ground beneath his feet quivered and gaped open in a black pit that threatened to swallow him whole.

"I don't know, but stay away from them!" Don warned.

"Ya _think_?" Mikey shot back.

Hun rounded on members of his crew. "You four! Go after the cop!" he bellowed. "The rest of you, take out the turtles!" There was a rush of running feet as the gang members moved to comply.

"Guys, scatter!" Leo ordered. "The windows, in back!"

Raph sheathed his sai and slipped his shuko spikes on his hands in one smooth movement as he ran, turning the prongs around to rest against the back of his hands. Splinter would frown to see the climbing tools used in such a manner, but when the pursuing gang members fell back as Raph's spiked fist whooshed inches from their faces, he figured his sensei couldn't complain too much.

He poured on the speed, sprinting between the tall stacks of wooden crates toward the back of the warehouse. He couldn't see his brothers but he could hear the angry shouts and sounds of fighting as the Purple Dragons chased after them. The staccato sound of gunfire came again. Bullets thunked into the wooden crates and ricocheted metallically off of used car parts and scrap metal stored inside.

He was almost there. Raph could hear Hun screaming another order but he couldn't understand the words over the tumult.

There were three seconds of silence.

The ground bucked under his feet and he hit the floor hard as the explosion from the grenade pounded the air. Wood and metal shards went flying, scraping over his shell. Raph scrambled to his feet, ignoring the stinging nicks the debris left in his arms and legs. When the next grenade went off, he stumbled, but he was ready for it. The wooden crates were burning and the flickering orange light made his shadow writhe against the walls.

He broke free of the maze of crates and ran headlong into the open area at the back of the warehouse. Mikey was already there, poised to climb the wall, pulling on his shuko spikes. The anxious lines in his face relaxed a little as he saw Raph and Don emerging from the stacks.

"Where's Leo?" Don asked, coughing a little from the smoke.

"There!" Mikey took a step or two back the way they had come, whole body strung tight with tension as he watched Leo run. He had sheathed his swords to free his hands, and he had almost reached them. He was coming as fast as he could - but then he slowed and half-turned, looking over his shoulder toward something Raph couldn't see...

A thrill of alarm coursed through Raphael as he saw debris come hurtling through the air and strike Leonardo on the side of the head. Leo staggered and fell - and in the next moment, Hun threw a third grenade. The blast rattled the walls, throwing Raph, Don, and Mikey to the floor. Raph struggled to his feet and bolted after Leo, ignoring the ringing in his ears and the sound of approaching gang members. Leo was huddled on the floor, clutching his head, his hands and mask stained with blood.

"Hang on, bro," Raph said, helping him sit up. Leo's gaze was unfocused and he leaned dizzily against his brother, panting for breath.

"How bad is he hurt?" Mikey asked, skidding to a stop in front of them.

Raph scanned Leo's body for injuries, but aside from a few cuts and scrapes - and the head wound - he was unharmed. Several wicked-looking shards of scrap metal were embedded deep in the wall behind them, and Raph shuddered as he realized that Leo had been a hair's-breadth from being impaled. "I think he's okay," he answered, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Leo, you with us, buddy?"

"I – yeah," came the dazed reply.

Don gave a shout of alarm, springing forward and swinging his bo like a bat. The grenade falling toward them hit the solid wooden weapon with a terrifying crack. It arced away from them before it exploded – close enough to stagger them, but far enough away so they stayed on their feet. And it blasted a gaping hole in the side of the warehouse.

"There's our exit!" Raph barked.

Mikey bent and hauled Leo to his feet, slinging his brother's arm across his shoulders to tug him close against his side. The ground trembled as if there were an earthquake, and more icy black rifts were torn open around them.

"There they are!" Hun bellowed.

The brothers raced for the breach in the wall. They could hear the Purple Dragons yelling as more explosions shook the building, and a man screamed as a rip opened beneath him and swallowed him up. Hun cocked his arm back and threw a final grenade just as they reached the outside.

A great gout of fire came boiling out behind them when the grenade detonated, and the blast threw them into the air. Mikey wrapped himself around Leonardo, twisting like a cat in midair. They hit the ground hard, screeching roughly across the asphalt on Mikey's shell until they skidded to a halt. Raph was the first one up, scrambling to his feet to haul a dazed Leonardo off of Mikey's chest.

"Are you all right?" he asked, staggering as Leo listed unsteadily against him. Raph reeled him close against his side with one arm and reached for Mikey with the other.

"Yeah – just scuffed my shell. Nothing a little sandpaper can't fix," Mikey said dryly, catching hold of Raph's free hand for a lift up. His eyes skated over to where Don was getting up off the ground. "Donny, you okay?" His breath hissed between his teeth and he grimaced, seeing the gravel embedded in Don's plastron and hands. "Oh, man, you've got some serious road rash, Dude."

"I'll be fine," Don replied shortly.

"We gotta move, guys," Raph said sharply, tilting his head as the first distant shrieks of sirens reached his ears. "Mikey, you okay to drive?"

Mikey grinned. "Bro, Mario Andretti _wishes_ he could be me." He hooked a hand around Don's elbow to hurry him along. They reached the Battle Shell first – despite Raph's natural strength and speed, he was inevitably hampered with his arms full of dazed, concussed brother. Mikey lifted the keys from Don's belt and started the engine as Raph boosted Leo into the back. Don slammed the doors shut behind them, ignoring the pain from his scraped and bleeding palms. The Battle Shell gave a lurch as Mikey floored it, steering the armored car out of the alley and away from the approaching sirens.

Raph lowered Leo to the floor. "Whoa there, don't lie down just yet," he said, catching hold of the rim of Leo's shell. He deftly unbuckled the straps that held the katana against Leo's back and set the weapons aside, then scooted around behind his injured brother to brace him up. "You've been awful quiet there, bro," he said. "You with me?"

"What happened?" Leo asked muzzily, reaching one hand up to his aching head. He tried to sit up but his spatial perception was off and Raph had to slap a hand against his plastron to keep him from pitching on his face.

"Hang on, Fearless! Just relax. We've got ya." Raph tugged him back to rest against his chest and curled one hand around Leo's forehead to hold his head steady against his shoulder. He gently slipped Leo's mask off and bunched it up in his hand, applying gentle but firm pressure against the cut on Leo's head. With one brother settled, Raph looked over at Donatello, frowning as he saw his bloody hands curled gingerly in his lap. "Yo, Don. You okay?"

"Well, I may never play the violin again." The pained lines around Don's eyes eased in gentle amusement as he saw Raph's frown deepen. Clearly Raphael wasn't at the point where he could find any part of the situation funny yet. "I'll be fine," he said reassuringly. "Just superficial scrapes, is all."

Leo tilted his head a bit against Raph's shoulder, squinting up at his brother. "Raph? Why'd you throw a brick at me?" he asked plaintively.

Raph blinked in surprise as he met Leo's unfocused gaze. His mouth curled in an affectionate grin and a warm chuckle rumbled deep in his chest. "As much as I'd _like _to hurl a brick at that hard head of yours sometimes," he said, "you managed this without me. I'll take a rain check, though."

Leo squeezed his eyes shut, looking tired and young without his mask. "But...thought I saw..."

Raph gently rubbed Leo's forehead with the tips of his fingers.. "Don't worry about it. You got that brain of yours scrambled a bit, but you'll be okay."

"Hey, guys…" Mikey's brow furrowed worriedly. "The communications thingy shows a whole bunch of missed calls. From Master Splinter."

"What?" Don climbed to his feet, swaying slightly in the moving truck but maintaining his balance as he made his way to the front. Their shell cells had all been set in sleep mode, but Don had them rigged to forward all messages and missed calls to a voice mailbox in the Battle Shell. There weren't any voice mails, but the display showed a dozen missed calls, all from Splinter's phone.

The brothers exchanged a worried glance. Although Splinter kept his shell cell with him, Raph could count on one hand the number of times his father had actually used it. And considering that Raph only had three fingers to begin with, a phone call from their sensei was - if not exactly a cause for worry - definitely an attention-getter. Especially when Splinter knew they'd be out on patrol and would likely need to maintain complete silence.

Raph checked Leo's head wound. The bleeding appeared to have subsided, so he set aside the crumpled mask and wiped the worst of the blood from his hand before digging out his shell cell and calling home.

Splinter snatched up the phone on the first ring. "_Raphael!"_

Raph flinched, startled by the abrupt answer. "Master Splinter, is everything - "

"_Are you all right?"_

The desperation in his father's voice filled him with alarm, and he hurried to answer. "Yeah, Sensei, I'm - "

"_All four of you? Your brothers are all right?"_

"Yeah, we're...we're fine," he stammered. "We ran into the Purple Dragons and got a little banged up, but - "

"_Come home,"_ Splinter ordered. "_Come home now."_

"We're on our way," Raph answered, gripping his phone tightly. "Sensei, is everything okay?"

There was a long pause, and Raph's heart gave an uneasy thump under his shell before Splinter sighed and answered, "_Yes, my son. Everything is fine. But please…hurry home."_

"Will do." Raph stared at his phone as Splinter hung up.

"What was _that_ about?" Mikey asked, glancing back over his shoulder.

"I dunno," Raph said, stuffing his phone back into his belt. "Master Splinter's really worked up about somethin' but says he's okay. He just told us to come home." Mikey didn't answer, but Raph felt the subtle pull of acceleration as he started to drive just a little faster. Despite Splinter's assurance that he was safe, Raph's stomach twisted uneasily.

Leo felt his tension and shifted against him, pulling back a bit to look him over. "You okay, Raph?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Raph answered, curling his arm more snugly around his brother's shoulders. Now that they were safe, it was starting to sink in exactly how close a call Leo had had and with the adrenalin starting to seep away, Raph was feeling a little shaky.

Leo's dazed frown deepened a bit as he looked Donatello over and saw the abrasions and dried blood on his hands. "'S'it bad?" he asked.

"Nah," Don said, although his shrug looked a little stiff. "It looks worse than it is. We're all okay, Leo."

"Mikey, too?"

"Mikey too," Don assured him.

Leo's brow ridges drew together a bit as he craned his neck to see Michelangelo. "He's bleeding."

"What?" Raph's head swiveled to pin Mikey with a scowl, and he noticed the welt burned in the side of Mikey's neck for the first time. A thin thread of blood had trickled down his shoulder and dried. "What happened there?" Raph asked gruffly.

"Huh?" Mikey reached up to carefully prod the stinging area with his fingerdips. "Uh...I dunno. I hadn't noticed. It's not that bad, though." Raph just huffed a little under his breath, not satisfied with Mikey's dismissal but unable to do anything about it. He settled back against the wall of the Battle Shell, holding Leo close, and watched the light and shadow from the street lamps chase each other across the floor as they drove home.


	6. Chapter 6

_Last chapter! Thanks so much to everyone who has read along and left feedback! It really means a lot to me. _:) _Thanks to Skitsmix for catching all my typos and for nudging me to write the opening scene with Casey and JT._

* * *

Chapter Six/Epilogue

When the buzzing sound jolted Casey out of a sound sleep, his first instinct was to swat at his alarm clock until it clattered to the floor. The noise came again, though, and he realized that it was his door buzzer. He rolled out of bed with a groan and shuffled across his darkened apartment in his t-shirt and boxers, groping at the wall until he hit the intercom switch by his door.

"What?" he growled.

"_Casey, it's me, JT Fuentes. I'm sorry to wake you, but I need help and I don't know where else to go."_

"Huh?" _That_ got Casey's attention, and he immediately switched on the light, squinting in the glare. "Yeah, come on up," he said, pressing the button to buzz his friend inside. He unlocked the deadbolt and headed back to his room to hurriedly pull on a pair of wrinkled jeans. He heard his door creak open and close with a quiet thud as JT let himself in.

"Dude, what's goin' on? I thought you were undercover!" Casey said, staring at JT in astonishment. JT was wide-eyed and out of breath, and he looked as if he'd been roughed up. When he turned to the window to close the curtains, Casey saw an angry-looking bruise darkening his cheek.

"I was. I got made," came the grim reply.

"Whoa. So...wait, how come you're here? Shouldn't you be back at the station or something?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I should. I just…" JT sat down heavily on Casey's couch and let his head fall back against the cushions. "I can't go back yet. Tonight was really strange and I can't talk to my sergeant until I know what I'm gonna tell him."

"You want a beer?" Casey asked. "Two AM is a little early for me to start drinkin', but you look like you could use it. And you're with me, so you wouldn't be drinkin' alone."

"No thanks." JT scrubbed his hands across his face. "It sounds good, but...I want to keep my head clear."

Casey flopped down in his battered armchair, settling back to listen. "What happened?"

"Okay, well...I told you I was going undercover. My assignment was to infiltrate the Purple Dragons," JT began. He was too distracted to notice Casey's startled flinch. "It was going really well - I was about to close the operation, actually. Just another couple days. But somehow they found out I was a cop. I don't know what - or who - tipped them off." He swallowed hard. "They were going to kill me, Case. Another few seconds and..." He took a deep breath, lifting his head and fixing Casey with a pleading look. "I had to talk to you because I thought you'd understand," he said in a rush. "Because you got mixed up in that thing last year when the triceratops alien things hit the city."

Casey hesitated before speaking, having a sneaking suspicion of where this conversation might be going but not wanting to make assumptions until he knew for sure. "What do aliens got to do with anything?"

"This is going to sound crazy." JT dropped his gaze to the floor and pulled off his fingerless gloves to run his hands through his shaggy black hair. "So...Hun has talked about these...turtles from time to time. I thought it was just some vigilantes in costumes or a rival gang, but...I saw them tonight, and they're real. Real, talking, five-foot-tall turtles with weapons and…" He looked back up at Casey. "They saved my life," he said quietly. "I don't know where they came from or how they knew to help me, but they did. They broke in and fought off the Dragons so I could get away. I ran until I'd lost the last of the Dragons who were chasing me and then…" He shrugged helplessly. "I came here. Hun took my phone and my wallet when they grabbed me. It was just a burn phone and the ID for my undercover assignment, not my real name; but I couldn't go back to the crash pad I've been using for the past six months and I couldn't go back to my real home, and I didn't want to go back to the station until I knew how to explain this."

Casey didn't say a word. JT's shoulders slumped. "I told you it's crazy," he said dispiritedly.

"Naw, man," Casey drawled. "It's not crazy. What you saw...they're real."

JT's head shot up. "You've seen them?"

Casey put his hands on his knees and pushed himself to his feet. "Forget the beer," he said, heading to the kitchen. "We're gonna need some coffee. This story is gonna take a while."

**xxxxx**

The ride home was as swift and uneventful as their journey out. They'd been gone less than two hours, and the moon was still high over the tops of the skyscrapers as Mikey backed into the abandoned warehouse.

Mikey led the way to the elevator and back to the lair; Don couldn't open doors with his injured hands, and Raph was still half-carrying Leo. When the elevator doors hissed open, Raph was unsurprised to see their father hurriedly making his way towards them - but he stopped short, stunned, when he saw that the fur on Splinter's cheeks was dark and damp with tears.

Don's eyes widened in alarm. "Sensei, what is it?"

Splinter didn't speak right away. He came up to Michelangelo - who was still walking in front of his brothers - and wrapped his arms around him in a fierce embrace.

Mikey hugged him back but darted a bewildered glance over his shoulder at the other three. "Did something happen, Sensei?" he asked.

"You are all right," Splinter choked out, finally releasing him and moving towards his other sons. He embraced Donatello as well before stopping in front of Raph and Leo, resting a hand on each of their shoulders.

"Sensei, what's goin' on?" Raph demanded, anxiety making his voice harsh.

"My sons...I thought I lost you," Splinter's eyes flitted back and forth between the four of them as he spoke. "I was meditating, and a short time ago I thought I felt…" The words lodged in his throat and he had to take several deep breaths before he could continue. "I felt your deaths," he forced out. "All of you. I...I cannot explain how." He bowed his head. "Even now as I try to remember what I saw, I cannot. But I cannot forget how I felt. In that moment, I knew that you were all lost to me."

The four brothers exchanged glances. "Well, we...we had a bit of a close call," Don said, "but we're okay. Maybe it was a dream?"

"No," Splinter said forcefully. "It was no dream. I _knew…_"

"It's been a weird night," Mikey said. "You guys remember those black hole things that kept popping up?"

"Yeah." Don frowned. "They all vanished as soon as we got out of the warehouse, though. I was watching. I wonder what they were?"

"Hopefully we don't find out," Raph put in. "I didn't like the look of 'em." He glanced down, then, as Leo abruptly tensed and clamped a hand on his arm.

"M'sorry, Raph," Leo slurred. "But I gotta sit down. I don't think…"

"Whoa." Raph felt a surge of alarm at the tight, pale expression on Leo's face. "I know that look, bro," he warned, hastily shuffling toward the couch. "And if you puke on me I am gonna drop you."

Despite his discomfort, a small sound that might have been a laugh escaped Leo's chest. "No guarantees."

Leo's interruption brought his father and brothers back to the here-and-now. Mikey curled his hand around Don's arm. "Come on, Donny," he said, giving him a tug. "We'd better take care of those hands."

Although the worried expression remained on Splinter's face, he withdrew to retrieve the first aid kit and bring it to his sons in the main living area. He handed the box to Michelangelo and sat nearby, folding his still-shaking hands to keep them steady.

Mikey gave Don a little push so he'd sit on the couch next to Leonardo, then took a quick detour to the kitchen, returned with a basin of lukewarm water, and perched on the table across from him. "All right, dude. Gimme," he said, gesturing for Don to hold out his hands. Don complied. He let out a hiss of pain as Mikey gently started wiping away the dried blood, but sat still and didn't pull his hands away.

"My sons. Please tell me what happened." Splinter's voice was low, but the fear and grief he had felt were still present.

The brothers exchanged glances briefly, then Don started talking. Splinter listened without comment. Although he was used to hearing his sons talk about fights with the Foot or Purple Dragons, tonight the retelling left him looking tired and shaken. "Thank you for telling me," he said when Don was finished. "I do not know what it was that I saw...but I am glad it was merely a vision and not reality."

Raph finished cleaning the wound on Leo's head and rummaged in the first aid kit for a bandage. He saw Leo blinking heavily and prodded his shoulder. "Hey. Stay awake, Leo." Leo sighed tiredly but gave himself a little shake and sat up straighter.

Mikey had picked up a thin pair of tweezers and was delicately picking gravel out from the abrasions on Don's palms. Although Donatello's mouth was tight, he didn't flinch while his brother worked. Raph recognized the glazed look in his eyes that meant he was trying to distract himself from the stinging pain in his hands by thinking about one of his many ongoing projects - but then Don's gaze focused with alarming suddenness and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Mikey, that wound on your neck…"

"Hm?" Mikey looked up briefly and gave a dismissive shrug. "Aw, don't worry about it. I'll take care of it when I'm done."

"N-no, that's not what I - " Don bit down on his uncharacteristic stammering. "Mikey, that's a bullet wound."

Everyone froze, looking over at Michelangelo in alarm. He fidgeted underneath the scrutiny, poking gingerly at the oozing welt burned in the side of his neck. "No wonder it stung," he said, forcing a light laugh, but his hands shook and he had to set the tweezers down.

Splinter strode over to Mikey and put a hand on his shoulder, taking hold of his chin with the other hand and tilting his head up and to the side so he could inspect the injury. "It is not deep," he said hoarsely, "but this does little to reassure me." His hand tightened on his son's shoulder, and if his claws perhaps dug a bit deeper than was comfortable, Mikey didn't react.

Raph finished taping the gauze square over Leo's head wound, then quickly cleaned up the rest of the small abrasions the fight had left on Leo and himself. Mikey patted Splinter's hand briefly before picking up the tweezers again to finish removing the debris from Don's hands. He rinsed the last of the blood away and patted them dry before wrapping them in light bandages. It took him only a few moments more to change the bandage around the persistent wound on Don's right leg. "There," he said, applying a final piece of tape with a satisfied air. "Now, pay attention." He waved a finger in Don's face with sternness that was only half-teasing. "No typing, no mechanic-ing, and no fighting until you are cleared by Dr. Mikey. And if you need anything, ask Raph." That coaxed a laugh out of Don even as Raph rolled his eyes and pretended to be annoyed.

"Okay," Mikey said, putting his hands on his knees and pushing himself to his feet. "I'll be back in a sec. Gonna get myself cleaned up."

"Nope," Raph said firmly. He crossed over in three long strides and snagged Mikey by the back of his belt. Mikey let out an indignant yelp as his brother hauled him backwards and put a heavy hand on his shoulder, pushing until he sat down on the table again.

"Stay," Raph said, tapping him forcefully on the forehead with one fingertip before retrieving the box of bandages.

"Raaaph, I can do this myself," Mikey drawled.

Raph scowled down at him. "Humor me." Mikey just gave him a knowing little smile and sat still while Raph cleaned and bandaged the wound.

Don shifted over to sit closer to Leo on the couch, gently bumping their shoulders together. "Hey, Leo. How are you feeling?"

Leo managed a small smile despite the lines of pain around his eyes. "Better," he said. "My head's killing me but I'm not dizzy any more."

"And you're managing complete sentences again!" Mikey put in cheerfully. "Nice!"

Leo let out a little huff of laughter. "Feels like that's about all I can manage." He gingerly prodded the area around the bandage. "You've got one heck of an arm, Raph."

"I told ya, bro, it wasn't me. But like I said...I'll take a rain check." Raph reached out and rested his hand on Leo's head, stern face softening when he felt his brother lean into his palm.

"I'm really tired," Leo said softly.

"It should be okay for you to sleep. We'll just have to wake you every couple hours to check on you," Don told him.

"I'll stay with him," Raph said. "C'mon, Fearless. Up we go." He ducked down so Leo could put an arm across his shoulders, then straightened and lifted his brother to his feet. Leo was more steady on his legs but still leaned against him as they made their slow way to his room.

Raph sat Leo on the edge of his bed and stepped away briefly to carefully put his sai on Leo's bookshelf. "I expect you not to push me off," he warned.

Leo smiled tiredly. "I'll do my best."

Mikey poked his head in the door. "No way there's room for both of you in there. Fortunately, Donny and I have a solution." He entered Leo's room with Don close behind. Both brothers were dragging their mattresses and carrying their blankets and pillows. Raph smirked. He helped Leo stand again, then pulled his mattress off the bed frame and plopped it on the floor next to Mikey's and Don's. Four turtles on three mattresses was a bit of a snug fit, but none of them minded. In spite of the fact that it was rather early for any of them to turn in, the turbulent events of the night had left them all feeling drained, and it wasn't long before the brothers all sank into an exhausted sleep.

Raph's mental alarm clock woke him a couple hours later. A sleepy, puzzled frown crossed his face as he found himself sandwiched between Leo and Don, but it only took a moment for memory to return. Leo's head rested against Raph's shoulder. His breaths were a little faster than usual, shortened by pain even in his sleep. Reluctantly, Raph reached over and gave him a gentle shake. "Hey. Leo," he whispered. "Wake up for a second." Leo made a soft sound of protest, but didn't open his eyes. "C'mon, Leo," Raph said, shaking him again. "I hate to do this to you, bud, but you gotta wake up."

Leo sighed heavily and lifted his head, blinking wearily at his brother. "'Kay, I'm up," he mumbled. "Now can I go back to sleep?"

One side of Raph's mouth lifted in a fond smile. Despite the uncharacteristic mumbling from his usually articulate brother, in the dim light from the hallway, Raph could see that Leo's eyes were clear and his gaze was lucid. "Yeah, go back to sleep," he answered. "I'll wake you again in a couple hours."

"Can't wait," Leo replied dryly. He shifted into a more comfortable position, leaning his head against Raph's shoulder once more. Mikey stirred a little, disturbed by the movement, but after a moment he settled and curled a little closer against Leo's side without waking up.

Raph could feel sleep pressing against his mind again, but he held it off just a little longer as he turned his attention to Donatello. Don had given him just a bit more room, but was still lying close enough for Raph to feel the warmth radiating off of him. He reached out carefully and very lightly rested the back of his hand against Don's forehead, letting out a little relieved sigh as he determined that his brother's temperature was normal. Don had started spiking fevers at night, likely due to the non-healing wound the mutant had given him several months back, but tonight, at least, it seemed that he'd be able to rest comfortably.

Raphael sighed contentedly and closed his eyes, letting the sound of his brothers slow, gentle breathing lull him to sleep.

**xxxxx**

Renet looked up from the Orb of Hindsight, smiling brightly in spite of the tears that clouded her eyes. "See? It was worth it."

Simultaneous gazed through the hazy sphere at the four sleeping brothers, disapproval and relief warring for dominance on his face. "I know why you did it," he said slowly. "But you still shouldn't have interfered. You nearly destroyed their existence for the sake of one person. And four lives were still lost."

"Just three," she answered shakily. "Raph, Don, and Mikey thought it was worth it, too. Their existence in their home dimension never even happened, but they saved Leo. And even though they only existed here for a short time...even though I'm the only person who'll mourn them, it's enough." She frowned a little in confusion. "I don't understand how Splinter knew, though. No one was supposed to be able to know. I fixed their timeline so Leo never died."

"Splinter said he was meditating," Simultaneous answered. "I don't pretend to know how that astral plane stuff works. That's beyond me. But for just a moment before you fused the timelines, the two forks of destiny coexisted; Leo was fatally wounded in one, and his brothers sacrificed themselves to save him in the other. I guess Splinter was at a plane of consciousness where he could sense it, even though technically he was perceiving things that never happened." He paused then, giving a sad little sigh. "And, Renet...you won't be the only one to mourn them." His gaze became pointed, though, as he continued: "But, there _were _four deaths. Have you forgotten that poor fellow who was swallowed by the rift? I wonder if _he _would think it was worth it?"

Renet's spine straightened, a hint of professional pride showing through in spite of her grief. "You mean the gang member? You don't have to worry about him. I caught him."

Simultaneous' brows lifted. "You did _what?_"

"I caught him. Grabbed him with the time scepter before the rift closed and dumped him back where he belonged just before the timelines fused," she answered.

"Well…well, that's - that was quite skilled of you," Simultaneous forced out. "Actually, Renet, in spite of everything, I am quite impressed. I'm not sure if even _I _could have merged the timelines successfully." His voice firmed again as he recovered from his surprise. "But you still can't use the time scepter again. Not for the foreseeable future. And I'm a time lord - I can see a long, long, _long_ way."

"I know." Renet gave a last wistful look through the time window before sparkling pink fog clouded it once more, obscuring the brothers from her sight. She wiped away her tears and smiled, turning back to her mentor. "Guess this means I should start dusting, huh?"

**END**


End file.
